Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is an obelisk in the National Mall of Washington DC, the capital of the United States, built from 1848 to 1888 to commemorate the first President of the United States, George Washington. It was made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss, and it towered over the reflecting pool to the east. It was taller than the Cologne Cathedral, being the largest building on Earth until the Eiffel Tower succeeded it the next year. Today, it is the tallest monumental column on Earth, and it is a major landmark of Washington DC.